The UK Knack Group Reviews Today’s Events ……

Management Moves: Aberdeen based BusinessPost makes senior appointments Aberdeen based BusinessPost who specialise in business management systems in safety critical sectors has made several key appointments to help with its continued growth. They have taken on 3 new staff, Andrew Hall has been made Operations Director, Mirielle Taylor as Marketing Manager and Colin Brown is Operations Coordinator.

Management Moves: Management restructured at Cardiff-based PR company Working Word Cardiff-based PR company Working Word has created a team of executive directors to lead an expansion strategy, including service innovations, increasing market share in Wales and building its client base across the UK.  The company achieved a record profit of £150,000 in 2012 on turnover up 10% to £800,000. 17 employees.

Management Moves: Change of Ownership at Devon Waste Management Devon Waste Management has secured a £5.5 million finance package to support its continued expansion.  Steve Hadley, previously commercial director, has also taken over ownership and management of the Exeter-based business from Collin Hickling, who has left to pursue other interests.

New Swadlincote Head Office for Keystone Lintels brings 20 new jobs Keystone Lintels that makes and supplies steel lintels and roof windows has opened its new headquarters in Swadlincote creating 20 new jobs bringing its workforce up to 130.  The group, which is made up of companies including Keystone Lintels, Keylite Roof Windows, IG-GRP and Smartroof, supplies its products to the UK and Ireland construction markets.

Private Equity / Bank Funding: National Enterprise Award for Leicestershire-based Asap Leicestershire-based Asap, which makes watercraft for beach lifeguards, has secured a national enterprise award from Lloyds TSB, including £10,000 to invest in the business, and business mentoring. Asap was named Best Start-Up in recognition of its potential and the international appeal of its one-person watercraft.

Private Equity / Bank Funding: Made in the Midlands Partnership beats £1bn lending target Lloyds TSB Commercial Banking has partnered with manufacturing support group Made In The Midlands to support the growth of the Midlands manufacturing industry. The bank expects to beat its target of lending £1bn to manufacturers.

Venture Capita: £150K Funding secured by MabLyte, a UK-based life science diagnostics company MabLyte, a UK-based life science diagnostics company, raised £150k in funding from venture capital fund manager Mercia Fund Management that made the investment via its Mercia Growth Fund 1.  The company intends to use the capital to complete the development of their first kit.  Geoff Hale and Alice Harrison MabLyte Founders

Private Equity / Bank Funding: Made In The Midlands partnership with Lloyds TSB Made In The Midlands, a manufacturing support group, has partnered with Lloyds TSB Commercial Banking to support the growth of the Midlands manufacturing industry. The partnership will support the 250 Made In The Midlands members in areas such as access to funding, international trade advice and financial news bulletins.

2 New Training Centres and New Head Office bring new jobs to Sunderland North East based training company, Resources (NE) Ltd has invested a six-figure sum in acquiring two training centres and a head office.  The company has opened a new construction training centre in Jarrow and an IT training facility and new head office in Sunderland.  The expansion has created 6 new jobs.

Private Equity / Bank Funding: North Yorkshire-based R&R Ice Cream takeover by PAI Partners North Yorkshire-based R&R Ice Cream is to be acquired by France-based private equity firm PAI Partners. PAI will buy the company from Oaktree Capital in a £718.2m contract.  R&R recorded revenues of 600m euros in 2012, 2,330 employees.

Private Equity / Bank Funding: Flexitallic Group acquired by Bridgepoint Private equity house Bridgepoint has bought energy sealing product maker The Flexitallic Group for £379m from Eurazeo PME.

100 new jobs at new Primark West Bromwich store Reading based budget-clothing store Primark has started recruiting for staff at its new store, which opens at the £200m New Square development in West Bromwich later this year.  The company, which is showing a sales increase of 24% in its first half of its trading year has 139 stores.  Turnover £2.09b employing 25,575 staff.

New jobs at RENE training centres and head office in the North East RENE have opened a new construction training centre in Jarrow, and an IT training facility and head office in Sunderland, totalling 14,000 sq. ft. of space, as well as taking on 6 new employees. The company, headed by MD Tom Doyle, hope to train 200 new apprentices each year.

New UK datacentre for Slough to open in 2014 Salesforce.com plans to build its first UK datacentre in Slough.  the Hub is to open in 2014 and will join Salesforce.com's existing datacentre family located in Asia and the US.

Venture Capital: Sifa growth brings new jobs Sifa has outlined plans to form closer links with its parent company, SimplyBiz, and hopes to continue a recent upturn in adviser numbers.  The professional body has seen 15 new firms join over the past four months, and expects to maintain this momentum now it has fully integrated with support services provider SimplyBiz, which acquired it in August 2011.  SimplyBizs size and financial strength will allow Sifa to take on more staff.  David Seager Development Director

Management Moves: Senior executive appointed at Travelzoo Travelzoo, an Internet media company and publisher of travel, entertainment and local deals, has appointed Simon Talling-Smith as products and emerging businesses president from August 2013.  Mr Talling-Smith joins from British Airways. He will lead Travelzoo emerging businesses, including Fly.com, a new hotel booking platform and mobile apps.

Ellesmere relocation for Trinity Research Limited brings 16 new jobs Trinity Research Limited, a natural sciences research and development company, are relocating from Cheshire to Ellesmere Port, creating 16 new jobs, with more during construction.

200 Call Centre jobs for Derby Web Help TSC, a telecommunications company who operate a contact centre in Pride Park, have created 50 new customer-service jobs. The company, headed by Chief Executive David Turner, may create up to 200 jobs if they achieve success in their plans to use technologies such as e-mail and social media.

Eastleigh, Hampshire complex brings new jobs Willmott Dixon have secured a £22m contract to construct a retirement village in Eastleigh, Hampshire. The complex will house 170 properties, a health centre and a number of leisure facilities, bringing new jobs to the area. The company, turnover £1.05bn, employ 2845 people.

Private Equity / Bank Funding: Funding secured by Wiltshire manufacturer Dynamatic Limited UK Wiltshire manufacturer Dynamatic Limited UK has refinanced to support its future growth.  The Swindon-based company, which is part of Indian-headquartered Dynamatic Technologies, has completed an agreement comprising of a £4.98m asset-based lending facility and a £500,000 loan from RBS Invoice Finance and RBS Corporate & Institutional Banking.  Dynamatic Limited UK has a turnover of about £27m between its hydraulics and aerospace businesses in the UK, and employs about 240 employees in Bristol and Swindon. Penny Winter – The UK Knack Group www.theukknackgroup.co.uk